Friction-clutch.



,626. PATENTBD 1mg, 1907.

` f R. HUH. y

PRIGTION GLU-TCH. f APPLICATION FILED 00T. 19.`i906. "i

' -2 snnn'rs-snfr 1.

No. 84o

N NN., me, v

Illlllll 19 IllIl-llllllll L wi/twas@ vIo ITED STATES-L ATENE' EEIOE.

RUSSELL HUEE, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To PACKARD MOTOR f CAR COMPANY, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORAIIONOE WEST FllcTlON-OLUTOH. i

f Appummamea october 19,1906. seria1N0.ss9,e3.-f

To a/ZZ whom t mag/concern: Be it known that I, RUSSELL HUFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, Wayne county, State of Michigan,

. 5 have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Friction-Clutches,' of whichthe following is a specification.

In friction-clutches of the multiple-disk` type, especially when used in motor-vehicles,

driven member is starting, and to eventually clamp'the members together so tightly l.that theybecome positively engaged and rotate -asa unit. In this manner the vehiclmay [be started slowly and gradually permitted to acquire speed untiltheflimit of speed is reachedh f l 'Iie l'resent 1invention relates to Lneais fo a ua a in ressure to t ecutc igdemh'erdr oipd7 ficltionclutch. In suchl y `clutches, and especially 'inl clutches of the multiple-disk type, 4'it has been customary heretofore to apply ressure to. the clutch that there may b e nofslip when 'the clutchf is fully? applied a very strong springhas been required. With such a spring there is danger of appllyingthe power too suddenly and I starting t e' mechanism with' a jerk, thereby straining 'the parts.' v l According to the' present invention' two s rings are used, the one being adapted to, app ya reliminary, pressure yto thecl'utclipto start t e vehicle or othermechahismjgraduallyA and the other beingv adapted tg come into lay late and connect the clutch 11161114 bers orc-ibly and' prevent relative slipping of said members..

tion with th which- 1 Fi e 1 is a clutc embodying theI invention. 2.isV a section on the line 2 of Fig'. 1'; ,Fig 31sa seetion on the line 3 of Fig. 1, and liFig'. 4-is aseo- Referring tothe drawings, indicatesthe driving-shaftf-which, for instance, 'may be the, crank-shaft of ,a hydro'carbon-engineadapted for driving a motor-vehicle. p '1kmdicates a fly-wheel rigidly connected'to said f* shaft.

it 1s desirable to apply pressure to the con-V members by'means o a spring, and in Order' 'head 24 -The inventioniwill .be described conne-caccompanying drawings, in-

`cent1-al sectional view of a 12 indicates afclutch-casing of substantially cylindrical form rigidly connected with the iy-wheel, and 12a an extension of said casing. As ,shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the Outer I casing 12 is provided with -internal longitudf nal recesses 13, int'o vwhich it lugsV 14- of a series of disks 15, arranged within the casing.

4innemen Jans, reo?.

In line with the driving-shaft 10 is a driven shaft 16, having one end mounted in a bear-A ing 17 inthe fly-wheel 11. The driven shaft-V is' also provided, with a suitable bearing 1 8,

`comiected with the driven shaft near its inner end' is aclutch-hub 19, having on its Outer surfacel a series of longitudinal recesses or grooves 20, adapted-to receive the lugs 21 of a series of clutch-disks 22. The clutch-disks 22 are arran ed alternately with the clutch-4 disks 1'5, the ormer rotating with the clutch adjacent to the clutch mechanism. Rigidly hub 19 ,while the latter rotate with the clutchi casing 12 andthe driving-shaft 10. Thetwo seri es, 3 fy disks are arranged between a collar 23 fixed on the hub 19, and a circular iangelike head 24 on a sleeve-25, whichis' adapted to-slide on and turn with thedriven Shaft 16. "i

The-'sleeve 25 is normally pressedtowardthe clutch members'15 2 2 by a coiled spring 26,

which is .interposed between the'sleeve 25 adacollar 27 fined on` the shaft 16.

'An' outer sleeve .28 is arranged to slide on and turdwith theinner sleeve 25 and being connected to said sleeve by aspline orkejy 2 9.

The outersleeve l2 8 is provided with acircurangedlevrs 31, having. theirinnerends lar 'flange-like head 30, and between the# heads 30 and 24v are a series of radially-ar-y pivoted to bolts 32, which areJ fixed in the hub ,19, and pass lthrough openings in ,l the causing said head to rotate with the hubaml 'with the shaft .16. The head so is arranged to bear on the outer ends of the levers 31', while thefmiddle portions of Said' leversbear on the head 24, thus transmitting D movement from the head 30 to the head 24.

The inner sleeve 2 5i's 'provided at its end with aiiangedgpagainst one side of which the. spring 26fbear's. The outer sleeve 28 `c ntactswi h tl'ieother side ofthe lflange 33 in o ening lthe clutch, as will be hereinafter IOO exp ained. `Between the sleeve 2'8 and the ytilted collar` 27 is asecond coil-spring 34, sur- Erouiidlfng the spring 26. The sleeve 2,8I 1s. cy-

lindrical on` its outer surface and plosely fits .the opening in the extension' 12a of the clutch-casing, a packing of felt 35 being used sleeve 28. The lever 36 may be operated by A hand or foot power, as desired.

The operation of the clutch is as follows: As previously stated, the outer clutch-disks 15, which may be termed the "primal-y clutchdisks,rotate with the driving-shaft 10. When the clutch is open, the inner clutch member comprising the secondary clutchdisks 22 is stationary. As the lever 36 is moved to permit the springs to act the head 24 of the inner sleeve is first pressed against the clutclrdisks by the spring 26, which is referably weaker than the spring 34. The read 30 of the outer sleeve does not begin to bear upon the levers 31 until after .the full pressure of the spring 26 is transmitted through the head 24 to the clutch disks. or members. The spring 34 then begins to act through the outer sleeve and the head 30 upon the levers 31, and when the operatinglever 36 is fully released the full pressure of bothsprings acts upon the clutch, the sp1 ing 26 acting direct] 1 upon the head 24, while the spring 34 acts t rough thc head 30 and the levers 31 upon the head 24. In opening the clutch the pressure of the outer spring B4 is first removed and later the pressure of the inner sprmg 26. The inner spring is preferably lighter than the outer spring, and pressure on the clutch is thus applied at first gentl and later with great force.4 This clute is especiallyvaluable in transmitting the movement of a.`hydrocarbonengine vto the driving-wheels in a motor-vehicle, as it facilitates starting the vehicle gently and gradually increasing the pressure of the clutch until the clutch members are practically locked together and lmoved as a unit. While the pressure of the lighter spring 26 is applied to the clutch the'clutch members slip relatively, the driven member gradually acquiring the speed of the driving member, and the vehicle is thus started gently and gradually.

. Having described my invention, what l'I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl 1. In a clutchmechanism, the combination with a driving-shaft and a friction-clutch member driven thereby, of a driven shaft, a friction-clutch member connected with said driven shaft, .two springs arranged to press said clutch members together, and means for a plying said slprings successively to close tliie clutch, for t e pur "ose set forth.

. 2. In a clutch mec anism, the combination with a driving-shaft and a friction-clutch successively removinT -friction-clutch member connected with said driven shaft, two springs arranged to press said clutch members together, and means for the pressure of said sprin s from the clutclh members.

3. n a clutch mechanism, the combination of a driving-shaft and a primary frictionclutch member connected to rotate with said shaft, of a driven shaft, a secondary friction' clutch member connected to rotate with the driven shaft, a head or clamp for pressing said clutch members together, two springs adapted to bear upon said. head of clamp, and means 4for successively throwing said springs into oV eration whereby the combined pressure o the springs is gradually applied to the clutch.

4. In a clutch mechanism, the combination of a driving-shaft and a primary frictionclutch member comprising va series of disks connected to rotate with said shaft, a driven shaft, a secondary friction-clutch member comprising a series of disks connected to rotate with the driven shaft, a head or clamp` for pressing said clutch' members together, two springs adapted to bear upon said head or clamp, and means for successively throwl shaft having a head bearing 1on said disks, thev spring adapted to bear on saidsleeve,` Athe outer sleeve, a second spring adapted to bear on the outer sleeve, and means for transmitting the pressure of the outer sleeve to the head of the inner sleeve, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a clutch mechanism, the combination with driving and driven shafts, of the two series of friction-disks connected respec tively to said shafts, the sleeve on the driven shaft having a head bearing on said disks, the spring adapted to bear on said sleeve, the outer sleeve, a second spring adapted to bear on the outer sleeve, ahead on said 'outer sleeve,4 and a series of levers arranged between the head of the outer sleeve and the head of the inner sleeve, for the purpose set forth.

7, The combination with the motor or driving sh aft, of the driven shaft coaxial with the driving-shaft and havin a bearing at the end of the driving-shaft, a cIutch-casing connected with the driving-shaft and carryin a series of clutch-disks, a clutch-hub upon t 1e driven shaft and carrying an alternate series of clutch-disks, an inner sleeve adapted to slide on the driven shaft and having a head adapted to clamp the clutch-disks together,

IIO

the outer sleeve, a series of' levers interan outer sleeve adapted to slide u on the in- I thefessure of said springs, for the purpose 1o ner sleeve and turn-therewith, a eed upon f'set orth. l r y' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

posed .between the heads of saidsleeves', two

springs bearing respectively on said sleeves RUSSELL HUFF and adapted to move them toward theclutohdisks, andY means for applying said springs Witnesses: suecessively to olampsald clutch-disks and ALLEN LooMIs,A for relieving seid olutcibdisks successively of R; H. ALLEN. 

